Device for recovering casing from wells



M. M. KINLEY- DEVICE AFOR RVEICOVERING CASING FROM WELLS Oct.- 11, 1927.

2 Shets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 4. 1926 INVENTOR BY y ATTORNEYS H .H1 u H l MM m mlm MIMMW mw a. m.. m w n n. mm1 Iflw L- IIIIII Wk M A l A Y 9 1 1% .o 2 i. 1

1,645,010 Oct- 11 1927' M. M. KINLEY DEViCE FOR RECOVERING CASING FROM WELLS ed Feb.V 4, 192s 2 sheets-sheer 2 jj M VENTOR WITNESS v MM inlet?,

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES MVYRON MACY KINLEY,

OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

DEVICE FoniiEoovEnInG Casiivs Eaoivi wELEs.

Application led lEebruary rlhis invention relates to a device for .recovering casing from wells when Vthe casing is broken or parted.

The object 'of the present invention is to provide a device of this character which permits of the speedy recovery of the casing in and as a vsingle string. This feature'v has very material advantages especially. as it permits the upper string to remain .in the well and thereby prevent cavings which are liable to and do occur when the upper string is removed first in accordance with the practice preva-lent heretofore. The devicecon- Istitutiiig the present invention positively and rigidly connects or couples the sections of the casing so that the two qsections may be removed asafiinit.` i' 'A further object resides in the provision 'of a device having these advantages and capacities'andwhich is of simple and .durable construction, reliable in 'operation,"and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manutacture.`v` Other objects and advantages reside in tlie certain' novel featuresy of the construction, 'arrangement and"l combination of parts `wliich`will be' hereinafter more `fully "described and particularly' pointed yout in the vappended claims, reference" being to accompanyi'ngV drawings lforming vva part' oi this specification, andlin which r" 'I Figujrelis a view in eleva-tion showing a device` 'embodying' the present 'invent-ion `wheii in'l positioirto couple and connect'the sections of parted casing', f

' Figure Q'is" al similar view illustrating the device as "positionedv Awhen being introduced down through the upper section or string'of the casing,

"Figure 3 is a view in transverse vertical section showing the mean's'ffo'r y'controlling :the slips, i 'Figure et is a view in horizontal section on theV line i-#l ofFigure 3,

`*Figure 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Figure3,and"" Figure 6 isa detail perspective view oi one'ofthe'controlling elements employed for the slips'. i' if" :Referring tothe drawings, the numeral l designates the upper sectionfof a parted well casing, and .the numeral '2 designatesthe lower section thereof. 'Heret'ofore toI yeffect the removal of the lowery lsection 2, it has been necessary toremove the upper section l inist, Vand:afterwardfs' to lower 'a casingspear beveled portions 10"'o'f`theupper 'se' opposite 'slots 'i6 previded in "die qe tij' 4, 1926. Serial No. 86,037.

or similar fishing tool down through the unlined well hole and introduce suchfspear into the casing'2l and' then" remove thecasiiig" 2. This practice has a'n'umber of serious objections and disadvantages, and' among these is the fact that the formation malingup'tli'e wall of the wellhole,'frequentlycavesafter the section l has been removed, thereby making difiicult or iinpossible'the removal'of'the lower section.

The present invention proposes to remove the sections l and 2 simultaneously, an'd'fbr this purpose, there is provided acasi'ngcivinector and gripper vhaving a bodyportin 'consisting of a' central portion, an"`upper section 4, anda lower section '5,' the sections 3, l and 5 being coupled together iii" axial alinement. The central section" is substantially of cylindricallform andp'ortions' of thesections 4' and 5 adjacent thesection are likewise of cylindrical" form. Adjacent their ends, however, these sections` Lande have their outer surfacestapering 'or' enlarg ing gradually toward their'extremities,"lthe tapered portions of the sections fl'and '5 be'- ingdesignated atlla and 5a, respectively. i A seti of'slips or grippers designated generally at 6, isprovid'ed on theY upper section 4:, and a similar set of slips orgrippersdes- Yigiiat'ed generally at 7 is' provided l`on"` th `e -lower YSection5. Thesefslips Gand?? are videnticalV invconstruction,1 lthough oppo'sitelfv arranged, and 'each set includesa segmental body 8 'having' peripheral "teethf91 'and a smooth and beveled portion l0.""Due the opp os'itev arrangement bf "tii'e slips the beveled portions 10 "o' the lower set are ed at the' lowerendsthereo'f, `whi'le"th e mifafr presented 'at the upper ends of the `slips off the upper set. Each 'body Spf eachmsli'pfis welded' orotherwise suitablyfsecu'redto an end of a resilient Vcarrier arm "lll" The lcarrier arms l1 are integrally formed with,f'or

otherwise 'suitably l connected to', carrier ,rings 12' Which are slidably fitted on the' cylindrical portion ofthe 'sectionbn which they'are mounted'. In the present instajnce,`*"fiir slips and four carrier'arms 1l are/"isli'tiwifn, and two or" thecarrier'armso'f eaclset'ot slips have integral extensions' 13, "tlie'eztensions 13j having bowedjportionslll and vterminal knobs 15. The-'knobsJ l'of the'l'eiitensions of the'lcarrie'r arms of th'e'setsor slips are' loosely'iitted 'in the diametrieally eiction 3jof the body `portion ofthe device.

' Controlling bloc'lrs 17 arealso iitted in these 17 is elongated and smooth .so as to be adapted to ride along theinner wall of the well casing. The inner portion of' each block 17 has a pair of inwardly directed lugs 20 defining a seat 2l between them designed tofreceive the cooperating knobs ot Vthe portions 14 of the arms 11. As showny to advantage in Figure 3, the controlling blocks 17 operate in the central portions of` the slots 16, and such central portions of the slots are the deepest portions thereof. As a consequence'ofthis feature, the enlargements 15 may be confined in the seats 21 between theV lugs 20 and held :against the adjacent portions of the inner walls of the slots 16. This is the position which the parts assume when the device is being introduced in the well, and the partsk are `heldin such position by virtue of theengagement of. the blocks 1 7 with the inner wall ofthe well casing. The lugs 20ct the blocks 21 coact with the enlargements 15 to hold these enlargements and the arms connected therewith not only against outward movement, but also against ,movement along the body portion of the de vice.r It is byr virtue of this action of the blocks 17 that the slips 6 and 7 are held retracted for the parts are so designed that the slips of thesets are` held on the smallest ends of the tapered portions when the eni largements 15 are conlined between thel lugs of the block.

`The, slips are expanded at the proper time `by means Lot coil springs designated at 22 and 23, the coil spring 22 encircling the cylindrical portion of upper section .4 and the ,coil spring 23 encircling the cylindrical portionof the lower section 5. The coil springs `22 `and .23 abut thewshoulders presented at theends of the central section 3, and these coilsprings also engage the carrier rings 12 whereby they tend to urge the slips to expanded position. `It will no doubt be ap preciated that when Athe upper slips 6 are moved upwardly by their coil spring 22 they will be expanded andV likewise when the lower slips 7 are moved downwardly by their coil spring 23 they will ybe expanded.

In orderto insure disengagement ot' the enlargements 15 from the controlling block 17 when thecasing no longer engages these blocks 17, the enlargements 15 are rounded to present surfaces cooperable with similarly formed surfaces on the lugs 2O.` The end 2O of the blocks 17 yand confining such enlargements between the lugs as illustrated in Figure 3. VThis compresses the coil springs 22 and 23, and so disposesthe slips that they .will not engage the well casing when being lowered therethrough. The entire device is lowered down through the upper' string 1 of the casing, and during its descent its blocks 17 are engaged by the inner wall of the casing, and are held in secure engagement with the enlargements 15 to the end ot preventing expansion of the slips. After f the device has passed down to vthe lower end of the string 1,its lower end enters the section .or string 2 and eventually the blocks 17 move out of the string 1 and into the space between the strings 1 and 2 where they Y. i

are not held, but are tree to ex and.

When the blocks 17 are no Ilonger held, the springs 22 andy 23 are effective to expand the slips which they control by forcing these slips along the tapered section on which they are mounted. -In this way the upper and lower stringsl are interlocked, coupled and connected, since the slips 6 have rm and secure engagement wit-h the string 1 Vwhile the slips 7 haveisimilar engagement with the string 2. The entire device Vmay be suspended by a suitable cable or other suspension means having a bail at its lower end cooperable with hooks 30 provided on the upper end of the upper section 3. The

sections 3, 4 and 5 making up Ythe body portion preferably have alined axial openings 36,37, and 38 tovpermit of the introduction of explosives or other l agencies should their use be found desirable. With'the two strings of casing Coupled and connected in l. A device for recovering parted string from well casing, comprising a body portion having oppositelyV extending tapered portions, a set of slips mounted on each tapered portion, a carrier for 'said slips, spring means cooperating withV the carrier for expanding the slips, and means for retaining the slips retracted comprising arms connected with the carrier and having enlargements, and controlling blocks mounted on the body portion and engageable with the casing and with the enlargements.

.Y 2. A device for recovering parted strings orwell casing, comprising a body portion having oppositely extending tapered portions, a set of slips vmounted on each tapered portion, a carrier Aforfrsaid slips, spring means cooperating with the carrier for expanding the slips, and means for retaining the slips retracted comprising arms connected With the carrier and having enlargements, said body portion having slots in which the enlargements operate, controlling blocks mounted in said slots and having lugs co- `operable with the enlargements, means for mounting the controlling blocks on the body portion for limited radial movement, said controlling blocks being cooperable With the casing to regulate the expansion and contraction of the slips.

3. A device for recovering parted strings of Well casing includinga body portion having oppositely tapered ends, slips co-operable With the oppositely tapered ends, spring means tending to move the slips on the body portion to expand the same, arms directly connected to the slips, and controlling blocks loosely mounted on the body portion and held in engagement With the arms to maintain the arms in such position as to hold the slips retracted as long as the blocks are engaged with the casing.

4. A device for recovering casing from a Well, comprising a body adapted to be lovvered into a Well casing and having a tapering portion and a radial slot adjacent to' the smaller end of the tapering portion, slips movable on the taperingportion or the body between contracted and expanded positions, spring means acting on said slips tending to move the slips to expanded position, an arm connected with said slips and having an end portion adapted to enter the slot of said body when the slips are in their contracted positions, and movable control means partially received in said slot and adapted to be held in engagement With said end portion of said arm When the control means is in said Well casing so that said slips Will be retained in their contracted positions.

MYRON MACY KINLEY, 

